What do you wish people would stop romanticizing, because you’ve lived the reality of it?

[HazelMaker]

The 1990s

I don't remember if it did or not! I do remember it helped me keep warm though. The bed was cold, the room was freezing, we weren't particularly poor, and this was only the 90s, but it did help.

Who romanticises that?
This thread is full of people listing things they personally don’t like. That doesn’t mean that the rest of us don't also hate them (as in this eg) or that the rest of us didn't enjoy them.
The PP who said ‘being a professional musician’ is probably one of the few egs of actual romanticising. Lots of us think it must be great performing all the time but in reality it’s endless touring (not compatible with family/friendships), crap hotels or tour buses and relentless hard work for, in most cases, little reward.

Yes, I see it on social media all the time. Especially on pages about EUPD. I also had a friend who was going through a tough time with depression and someone actually suggested to him that he ask about being admitted to hospital for a "nice little holiday".

Men I’ve been with love the sensual steaminess of sweaty underboobs

they don’t realise the discomfort it can cause …

Again - who romanticises this? Nobody.

Shopping before supermarkets.

Everything took five times as long, you were forced to chat to people you had no interest in, small shopkeepers weren't always polite and helpful.

Suspect the people who wax lyrical about pre-supermarket days are mostly men.

I was about to type in, 'living in Paris'!

Hated it. I still do not school is right for all (or even most!) children. I just remember being so tired, overwhelmed and worried. And that was before I take into account the relentless bullying and feeling the odd one out. And I am an academic person who learns fast-cannot imagine how much worse it is for some people.

I see you and raise you ‘moving to Italy’.

In my experience some men love the steamy sensuality of it

it can lead to a lot of discomfort and they don’t realise this

Some men finding it sexually exciting does not equal ‘romanticisng’ though. Sexualising, maybe.

Very much so.

An absolutely commericalised greedy period of the year where conflicting material goals have too many people actually turn off their goodwill and ethics.

A nightmare for many families with many well-meaning heads of families forgetting that past jealousies (often from previous "family" christmases) raise themselves again and again.

Too many drunk uncles, angry sisters-in-law, flawed adults with no idea of social skills f* up others lives for a day.

It's much easier to withdraw, stay home, eat lunch with another marginalised unit of the extended family and to catch up with a few of the nicer youths, children and decent adults at another time away from the questionable elements of the family (or the dynamic).

I find ways to enjoy my Dec 25 and 26 at arm's length (or further) from bad or risky elements.

Families
Being kind
Norfolk

Music festivals.

Getting married.
Having kids.

A very honest post that I totally agree with.
I'm glad I'm not the only one.

i don't recognise that at all in my own experience. I do know that all marriages are not like my own.

Same here! 30 + years….he is truly the best thing in my life! ❤️

After I had DD I must admit that I genuinely thought being sectioned would be a nice break. Probably had PND but not severely enough to need to be sectioned

Love being all you need to make a relationship work.

Childbirth

Christmas.

Being a woman.

So called 'sensitive' men. So many women romanticise about these, perhaps because many men, especially younger ones, are trapped in the stereotype of being 'hard'. Also sensitive men are seen as so wonderful in slushy romantic novels. In reality, I have found most of them are just man-babies who respond to crises by crying. Sorry, sounds cynical, but they are romanticised beyond belief.

Baby in nicu - small baby = easy labour, no night feeds/looking after baby, you can just rest and recover (not true by the way).

Child in hospital - sitting around all day playing on your phone and eating snacks from costa/marks and Spencer.

PS, just thought I would clarify I didn't think it would be easy before I experienced it, I just didn't think it would be as hard as it was. I normally do around 8-10,000 steps on hospital days with my 11 year old, probably much more when he was a toddler. And there was no sleeping all night when he was in the nicu either, I had to pump every 4 hours which took about an hour each time.